Friday, March 18, 2005 | 8:52 a.m.
Musicians and fans of music who are thirsting for a place to hang and listen to good jazz should drink in the scene at Steven David's, a nightclub/restaurant once known as the Plush Horse (a popular spot for meeting persons of the opposite sex).
In four short months the venue has become a classic Las Vegas neighborhood club.
"It's been a lot of work and long hours, but it has been fun," Steven David said. "Sometimes it's been aggravating."
The neighborhood (David's is located at 545 E. Sahara Ave., between Paradise Road and Maryland Parkway) might not be the best, but that only adds to the atmosphere of a place that was opened because its owner wanted a place to sing.
"It's all about the music," David said. "That's what it is, in spite of the fact that some people think it's a restaurant, which is fine -- but ultimately it's about the music."
When David's opened on Nov. 26 there were only a handful of musicians and customers. Now the room routinely attracts large crowds, especially on Fridays and Saturdays.
Initially, the venue was open from noon until after 1 a.m. Now the business hours are 5 p.m. until 4 a.m.
"We open for dinner," David said. "At first we thought opening for lunch would do something, but it didn't happen. When you start something new you need to focus on what will keep you there tomorrow, so we changed the hours."
David's had a brush with closing a couple of weeks ago over a misunderstanding in the business's lease agreement. The room actually closed for five days and David was looking for a new place when the misunderstanding was worked out.
Ever since there has been wall-to-wall music.
From 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays, 83-year-old drummer Benny Bennet and his 20-piece orchestra perform big-band and Latin music.
From midnight to 4 a.m. Mondays through Thursdays saxophonist Cash Farrar and trombonist Brian O'Shea perform with their group.
Keybordist Dick Fazio is featured from 9 p.m. to midnight Mondays.
Trombonist David Phy performs "The Music of ..." beginning at 9 p.m. Tuesdays. Each session Phy focuses on a different artist or album -- this week he played the music of Miles Davis.
Wednesdays keyboardist Dennis Mellen brings his "Wednesday Night Jazz Jam" to the club. Mellen is one of the most respected jazz musicians in Vegas.
Brothers Smitty and Robbie Robinson perform Thursdays. Fridays and Saturdays, David and his band, the Usual Suspects, perform.
Every night is different, with a steady stream of musicians and vocalists joining the headliner of the evening.
"All of our performers fluctuate," David said.
He prints a monthly calendar, which is available on his Web site -- www.stevendavid.com. Performers who appear at David's can display and sell their CDs there.
David says he is giving everyone (within reason) a shot in the spotlight.
"I've had so many people come in and say, 'We would really like to play here,' " David said. "So I'm giving them a chance -- for the next couple of months we're going to give everybody a shot. Let them come in, see if they can bring people in and if they can then we'll have them back."
The stage is being expanded to allow more space for dancing.
"On Sundays, when Benny has his 20-piece orchestra onstage, we have to put the sax players on the dance floor," David said. "People have to dance in the aisles."
David says his primary goal is to provide a venue for excellent music.
"The talent in this town is unreal," he said.
While David is happy with the progress of his nightclub, he sees a need for expansion. He's looking for a second location for larger gatherings.
"I would like to have a performance arena," he said. "A place where I can take Benny and his 20-piece band and 2,000 people can come in and enjoy it."
Lounging around
Lounge performer Michael Cagle's career is on the rise. He's been one of the featured performers in the revue "Spotlight" at the Barbary Coast for the past several months, and now he is involved in a pilot of a reality TV show.
"It's a behind-the-scenes look at performing in Vegas, the highs and the lows," Cagle said.
He and Will Roya (producer of "Spotlight") are co-producing the proposed series.
Cagle says he recently was approached by two venues on the Strip that wanted him to perform solo, but he likes where he is for the moment and wants to see the entire "Spotlight" production on the Strip.
He said the reality TV series will follow the transition of "Spotlight" from an off-Strip site to one on the Strip.
"Hopefully this will culminate with us going from one showroom to another," Cagle said.
Tequila Joe's, the karaoke club at Imperial Palace, has extended its weekend hours because of its increasing popularity, according to a casino spokesman.
The hotel's Strip-front karaoke club draws dozens of singers each night, with hundreds waiting their turn to take the stage on weekends.
The club's hours are from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights.
There is open karaoke starting at 8 p.m. every night.
Tequila Joe's recently was named Best Las Vegas Karaoke Bar by L.A. Nitelife magazine.
Blues, jazz, funk and rock group Phil Leo and the Lions perform from 10:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. Thursdays through Saturdays at the Cellar Lounge, 3601 W. Sahara Ave. They perform there from midnight to 4:30 a.m. Sundays.
The band can be heard from 11 p.m. until 3 a.m. Wednesdays at Bugsy's Lounge, 6145 W. Sahara Ave.
archive
